The summer is slowly coming to an end and the beginning of the school year for your children is around the corner. Being organized, prepared and focused, while maintaining the restful peacefulness you hopefully achieved over the summer is the goal. So how do you get into high gear back to school mode without disrupting all that good down-time feeling? Simple you start with the four P’s, Pen, Paper, Plan and Prepare. Along with the hustle and bustle of getting kids prepared for school you will also be facing a Seasonal transition.

Seasonal changes may affect mind, mood, and motivation (energy). The transition from Summer into Fall mostly affects our mind, and motivation. Unlike other seasonal transitions, stepping from Summer into Fall is filled with so many chores, tasks (energy) and planning/ preparation (mental gymnastics) that doing it with a plan is important to stay balanced.

Purchase an attractive pad of paper for each child you have. Sit down with your pads and a pen and start with the oldest child’s pad, and write down the goals you have for that child, for the school year. Write the goals pertaining to their health, behavior and what strengths you would like them to build. Write down any thoughts or ideas you have for that child. On the second page write down any concerns you have about that child and anything that bothers you about the child’s behavior and title it Concerns. On the third page write down all the strengths the child has and all the great things about your child and title it Strengths. On the fourth page start writing everything down that you have to do to organize and prepare your child for going back to school. If you want an upgrade in bedroom furniture, clothing, products (bins, storage, bookshelves, file cabinets), or if you want to call about programs, tutoring or counseling, write it all down and title it Get Organized. If you want to purge kids clothing to make room for new duds, or do a deep cleaning of the closets or get under their bed, discuss this with your kids and make sure they're on board for the task of preparing the room from Summer Solstice Style to Back to School ready. You may want to look for a new hamper, organizational tools (label makers, black permanent markers, filing systems, software programs, schedulers), or change out the linens and bedding. Old toys, books and knick knacks that aren’t being used or loved anymore can be given to charity. Teach your children about giving to charity. Help them part with items that are not age appropriate for them so they don’t start having collecting and hoarding behaviors. Involve your child so they know how to do this for themselves at some point. Children must be prepared for the world when they leave your home, so start preparing them now. The old saying “Children are to be seen and not heard” was a bad idea. Children must be taught how to have a voice, especially when they are going back into a school environment with other children and adults (teachers). No surprise that other children and even teachers may be harmful to your children. Please don't get me wrong about this issue, most people are loving and kind, but the news tells us there are people out there who can and will do harm. Sit down with each child and discuss Self-Protection and create a concrete way for your child to assess normal from abnormal behavior towards and from others. Sit down with each child to discuss Rule, Responsibilities and Consequences and develop a chart on a big white poster board. Depending on the children’s ages the rules, responsibilities and consequences will vary. Each child has a separate chart solely for them. There are two columns for consequences so they can choose the one they want to have. This gives them some power in relation to consequences. This chart lets your child know how the world operates and as we know we have the ability to choose the consequences even when we get in trouble with the law i.e. Pay the fine or Traffic School. The amount of time you will enforce a take away (consequence) depends on the age of the child. 5-9 (1 day) 10-14 (3 days) 15-18 (1 week). Once a consequence is enforced DO NOT reverse it. Reversing a consequence because a child has a temper tantrum and or argues should double the consequence not eliminate it. Eliminating a consequence once it is enforced will actually reinforce the negative behavior. Remember YOU are responsible to organize and prepare your child for the world, not the teachers, coaches, friends, family members or even counselors. It is YOUR JOB as a parent! If you do not have Rules, Responsibilities and Consequences in your home, your child will believe that is how the world operates and they will be in for a rude awakening once they leave home. Not to mention your lives will be chaotic, confusing and misguided and you will miss apointments, due dates and be dis-organized from the get go. Do not take away extracurricular activities, special occasions (birthdays/dances), field trips, allowance since this will not only impact your child’s natural ability to be socialized but it also affects and punishes the other children that rely on your child’s participation. Use the communication method outlined in this article to go along with the rules and consequences. http://www.i-deal-lifestyle.com/1/post/2012/07/is-someones-clutter-getting-in-between-you-and-your-world-marla-stone.html. Also realize, that if you are just employing this new tool for keeping your child’s life organized, it may be difficult and even painstaking at first, but then will become easier and easier as everyone gets used to it. It may seem harsh and you may feel guilty enforcing the consequencesbut feel the guilt and do it anyway!Example of Rules and Responsibility and Consequences Chart

Many people who call me for Professional Organizing Services are also interested in Feng Shui. Most people I encounter do not really know too much about Feng Shui, but they appear mystified by the thought of it. Some people say "I'm not interested in Feng Shui". Interestingly though the people who have "gone for it" usually have the best experiences when I follow up with them.

I get many calls from clients months after they have been Feng Shui'd exclaiming the successes and changes in their lives. Some clients are getting divorced and have to downsize, others are going through short sales and have to move quickly and want to have us pack, many people have moved and want to be unpacked. Some clients are decor challenged and have furniture to and fro and pictures in upper right hand corners of their walls. I always say O.M.M (oh my my) what were you thinking?? Some people have ADD Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Everyone has a reason to call a Professional Organizer, but usually the client is "missing" something in life or there is an imbalance of some kind.

After organizing one client's bedroom, and moving her bed to the center of the room, with two end tables on each side, instead of the bed being squished against a wall, she has become more balanced, claimed her love life is more fulfilling and has expanded her business three fold. Another client has told me that her life will never be the same since we organized and Feng Shui'd her. She said that she felt "joy and peace for the first time in years". Other clients that I spoke with claimed better health, increased wealth, better socialization, more fame and recognition, a hotter sex life, increased desire to go back to school, better job opportunities, stability, and more.

Rather then just moving furniture around, cleaning out your pantry and closets, using baskets and finding a home for everything, Feng Shui stirs up new and exciting energy in your self and space. Energy or Chi can become stagnant and stale sitting aimlessly in your home or office. You may wonder why you have so many fake people or clients in your life? Look around and count how many fake plants are in your space. Is it difficult to see your self, life and others clearly? Maybe the window washer needs a call? Imagine why your romance has died and gone to heck? Look in your Love and Romance corner of your home or office and see blocked areas, dried flowers or absolutely no objects symbolizing Love. Figured out why the money has stopped flowing in steadily? Look at your Prosperity corner and notice that there are no round shaped leafy plants, purple and blue objects and MONEY! Yes, just putting money in your Prosperity corner can bring the gold coins in. Has your Health turned to sour grapes.? Put some fresh fruit and a growing plant in or near your Health Bagua. Is your Children and Creativity area in your laundry room? You'll figure out that your Children and your Creativity will feel washed out and dry. Yet there is a Feng Shui Fix for every area of your home and your life. Does the Career area of your home reflect your growing career and aspects of the Career that you want to enhance? No, well that is why the career department might be hurting. When was the last time you Traveled to a bucket list destination? If the Wise People and Travel area of your home is enhanced with travel destinations, a few angels and Wise People symbols you just might be going on that trip to____________. Have your skills and knowledge gone to pot? Let's beef up that area with books and ideas that you want to bring into your repertoire. Are you having difficulty with a particular family member and want some resolve? Let's put up some pictures of that person in your family area and objects symbolizing unity to build up that relationship. How about some recognition for what you would like to be famous for? Hanging awards and putting some spiky plants and bright flashy colors can really get the phone ringing and bring on the applause.

Bottom line each and every Bagua (nine separate Baqua's in your home represent a different source of meaning and energy for you) must be Feng Shui'd often in order to have continuing change and new events occuring in your life. It is not a one time deal, but something you want to engage in when certain aspects of your life require a Small or Dramatic Change.

Call Marla Stone for a free 30 minute phone consultation and to learn more about getting a Feng Shui Fix!! Feng Shui can be done on Skype as well. Call for details!!!www.i-deal-lifestyle.com949-709-7000ideallifestyle1@gmail.com